The purchase and financing of an expensive item or items can be an intimidating process. One of the most stressful and often frustrating parts of the process is the search for and securing of financing, whether the item is a house, car or other item. Often these financial transactions are made difficult by the amount and nature of the research needed to obtain a fair loan at market interest rates and the often impersonal or even unpleasant interactions encountered during and after the search. Even before the loan process begins, the actual negotiations regarding the purchase, and other associated transactions can predispose the purchaser to assume a negative attitude during other aspects of completing the financial portion of the purchase.
The loan consumer often feels helpless and not in control of the loan procurement process. The sometimes hurried, hard-sell pitch of loan officers leaves the consumer suspicious and wary and wishing that there were more choices and information available. The consumer may desire that loan particulars were in a format which is easy to understand and useful when comparing competing loan institutions.
Other disadvantages can occur when a loan consumer uses one of the existing e-mail, “on-line” or internet loan services. For example, existing internet loan services may be structured to provide a large amount of information regarding loans for which the consumer is qualified. The information is presented to the consumer at one time and can include a staggering amount of options. The number of options can contribute to the feeling of confusion and frustration and the impersonal approach rendered by this type of service. It is left up to the consumer to compare options and attempt to ferret out the most advantageous loan. While some consumers may be competent to do so and therefore comfortable with this approach, the amount of data can still appear bewildering and requires unnecessary labor on the part of the consumer. Furthermore, excessive communication from prospective lenders contributes to a negative experience for a prospective consumer.
Accordingly, there is a demand for a method and apparatus which simplifies and streamlines the process of loan procurement by matching loan consumers to a defined set of qualified lenders and their loan offers, while permitting the consumer to retain control of the selection process. The present invention satisfies this demand.